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Radio SMASH International
Radio SMASH International (Often simply refered to as "Radio SMASH" or "Voice of the Democratic Commonwealth Union") is the official state radio broadcaster for the Democratic Commonwealth Union (DCU) Micronation - and is also one of the oldest active institutions of the DCU, with pre-recorded activities in preparation for being 'the world's most pioneering micronational broadcaster' having begun since December 1991. It has earned it's ambitious standing and has been carried on multiple platforms - as well as having been responsible for early utilisation of 'micro-broadcasting' methods. It produces both Information, News, Reviews and Entertainment broadcasts - having earned a speciality for live events and improviseation comedy. It has a sister television station called DJFM Industries Television (DJFMITV) which as part of the joint DJFM Industries Broadcasting Division (Under the ministerial control of the DCU Communications Federation), provide the majority of programming to the Democratic Commonwealth Union, as well as much further afield where the opportunity arises. However, prior to DJFMITV's arrival in February 2007, Radio SMASH International was the sole voice for the DCU. Pre-Broadcast Era (1991-1995) On the night of December 21st 1991, the genesis of the station had been inspired by David Malins having received for his 5th Birthday a period Fisher Price 3818 Compact Cassette Tape Recorder by his grandparents, on which in their company recorded himself singing (albeit crudely given his age at the time) "My Favourite Things" from the musical "Sound of Music" that had been practised for his school's variety play called "Babes In The Wood" that same year. After listening and watching the limited variety of transmitted content in the area at the time, Malins and his siblings started preparing to make their content better in a minuite-by-minute narration of things going on to describe to the at that time non-existent audience, along with some early music (later referred to in popular culture as 'mix tapes'). Eventually, Malins and his siblings learnt more about presentation style and programme style, that a small selection of material survives to this day that has been preserved from the original cassette tapes. In December 1994 for charity, Malins' school recorded all the pupil's carol singing (including himself) onto a cassette tape via a mixing desk First Pre-Recorded Full-Length Shows (1996-1998) In August 1996, the group known as the Trouble Busters that would become the modern DCU Micronation met for the first time. As one of the key founding members, Malins introduced recording a variety segment under the direction of the group's manager, as part of a much larger programme of music and information on a standard 90 minuite Compact Cassette tape for the group to listen back to (and a rather reluctant family) At the same time, Malins' siblings also created their own variety programmes on a similar format (which were all later digitally restored in a major project back in the early 2000s) - the most familiar of these was "Radio Crunch". That month, the first 45 minuite "Radio Zero" programme (Radio Zero Number 1 - see photo left) started recording, beginning with the first "Trouble Busters Advert". The first advert however, after being heard back by the group's manager, decided that it needed to be re-recorded multiple times for reasons unknown - meaning that this original recording did not survive. Eventually though, on a warm summer's afternoon, the show took shape: with , news about insects dominating the warm weather and delays on the group's summer fayer due to building work at their headquarters, singing of the group's tune, another announcement of a wrist band stall being prepare for the fayer, then some recorder playing - interruped by humourous disagreements to redo segments of the show and the sound of an emergency vehicle in the distance. The advert was taken as a success - which led into Radio Zero's first song "Walk Hand In Hand" by Mr Glen Southern and selected singers at Malins' school that was played on Radio Wyvern and recorded off-air by the school (with the latter recording then ending up in the Radio Zero programme), to be followed 15 mins (or 1/3rd) into the programme by a cover version of Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue" - After 42 mins, the show was ended by a short oddity, followed by a verbal farewell from Malins. With the format of the shows set in a similar way, this steadily grew - and included the first external coverage of an event at the 1996 Madley Xmas Grand Bazarr by Radio Zero - in whihc the programme ran for a total of 35mins in lenght - including interviews with funny call-backs from those who were asked questions, along with christmas carols and even the raffle results recorded live and later transmitted for posterity - even the Manager of Trouble Busters had a cameo interview with Malins - and a signature tune to identify the unique difference in the programme. A total of roughly 15 Radio Zero Programmes and more than half a dozen other additonal aphiliated programmes with for example Radio Crunch, were produced between the summer of 1996 til the end of 1998 - a phenomenal acheivement, given that the wannabe 'home broadcast' station had no means to transmit it's content other than through dubbing and copying it's programmes from cassette to cassette or via very elaborate PA loudspeaker systems. This gave the recordings a purpose and a skill level that isn't easily attained, on a medium that at the time was being slowly overtaken by Satellite on-demand Television - A sense of determination developed that would follow the group that had first given it's opportunity. First Transmission & Simulcast, and the birth of Radio SMASH (1998) On the 25th December 1998, a Radio Shack 30-in-one electronic projects lab kit was acquired by Malins - in which a very simple license exempt AM Transmitter circuit was detailed and then constructed, then improved. It was quickly decided to attempt not only the first ever scheduled transmission, but a complete simulcast - record and transmission of a live programme that could be re-transmitted at any time to show what happened during the day as a 'highlights' programme to other areas that the transmitter could be placed (given it's fairly short range) In only 6 days, the maiden simulcast was quickly planned and written down, with the equipment upgraded and prepared. A crude microphone was constructed from a crystal earpiece, to attach to the mic input of a Toshiba V17 Midi HiFi System, and outputted to the transmitter, so as to give live announcements over per-recorded segments and music (from other cassettes, CDs and records) during the transmission. Finally, on the morning of the 31st December 1998, in Wormbridge on a frequency of between 530-540kHz Medium Wave, after testcard music and a standby tune was played, Malins' voice crackled jubilantly over the crystal microphone "THIS IS RADIO SMASH!", played out by the decided station theme tune "Why?" by Tracey Chapman - heralding the start of the first ever transmission of Radio SMASH The transmission went through with the first song made famous from a Heinz TV commercial called "The Star and the Wise Man" by Ladysmith Black Mombazo - then to a brief news segment - followed by the first transmitted sports programme of "step jumping", followed by a medley of music. Then a break to testcard, which was followed a few hours later with one of the earlier per-recorded Radio Zero programmes - before the live festivities to see in the new year of 1999. The programme was later repeated the next day in Madley, followed by a selection of music to make up the last part of the programme running for approximately 45 mins, ended by the songs "Ode to the Unknown Man" and "C-R-A-Z-Y Music". With the first ever live simulcast transmission completed, Radio SMASH stuck to it's format - and begun to air it's programming on a regular schedule and improving in little steps it's crude transmitter and it's fidelity. The availability of a wide range of pre-recorded 45 minute programmes recorded 3 years previously, made the effort of regular scheduled transmissions from Radio SMASH's first make-shift studio (see photo right) much more simpler - with the cassettes arranged in order on a carousel - and with a dual tape deck, could play two 45minuite programmes back-to-back whilst allowing significant time to get back to announce the next piece upon changeover of the cassettes for the next 90 minute segment. Programme Expansion (1999) Many key events would nearly overwhelm the new station, now that it had developed programme delivery as well as obtrained a Sony TCM-4300 tape recorder with basic 'line in' to allow for recording live events, whilst at the same time playing (albeit monaurally) pre-recorded segments/music whilst circulating to interview people. The Madley Summer Fete on July 10th 1999 was one such programme that allowed for simultaneous mixing to create a full 90 minuite programme (as well as enabling sister station Radio Crunch to use excess equipment to record another similar programme on the same day of the same event) - There is evidence of there being a plan to the recordings that didn't follow the proposed structure (see picture right) August 11th 1999, archive footage behind the scenes (and later digitally enhanced) reveals the live broadcast as it was going ahead during the Solar Eclipse - The broadcast used an external amplifier to increase the modulated power of the earliest transmitter attached to a cardroid microphone at the input, instead of the earlier crystal microphone - this was one of the first attempts to replicate the Wormbridge simulcast (though seemingly with a less-than-adequate set-up) Further aspirations (2000s) Towards the eve of the millenium, many plans came into being